In my twenties, I started to dress more for myself (and less exactly like my friends). This stage was hugely experimental and I shopped cheaply all the time. In my late twenties, I began to care more about quality over quantity and started shopping more conscientiously instead of throwing my dollars at fast-fashion stores. When Justine and I starting Poppy Barley, I became even more aware of how my clothing and footwear choices impacted the environment and the lives of people making the product. Now in my thirties, I finally nailed down my dress code: luxurious fabrics, modern cuts, and feminine structure. I always want my uniform to say “I’ve got my shit together” while being very approachable.

When I was a teenager (wearing jeans four sizes too big, plaid shirts and lots of black eyeliner), my gym teacher had a sign on her door that said “Show Me Your Friends. I’ll Show You Your Future”. If there’s truth to this statement, Poppy Barley has a cool, smart future. In this issue, we chat dress codes, work and life with friends of Poppy Barley.

While it took me decades to figure out how to dress, Talia Brown proves the importance of dress codes by making a career out of it, telling stories as a stylist for brands, individuals and magazines. Based-in Toronto, Talia and I have not met (yet!), but in my digital world, she’s a sweetheart.

United in their appreciation for their Chukka Boots, Connor (wearing a suit) and Warren (wearing startup t-shirts) share their days as a lawyer and community manager for Startup Edmonton.

Dr. Amy Tan is an academic family physician (translation: she does kick-ass, innovative research to improve palliative care). Back in 2013, Amy spoiled her wide feet to a pair of Savannah Hill boots. Over the past 4-years (and many more pairs of Poppy Barleys), Amy has become someone I deeply admire for her tenacity, smarts and ambition.

Dr. Ryan Oland is the Chief of Medical Staff at WestView Health Centre. With a specialty in Emergency Medicine, Ryan chats about not sleeping, progress in health care and trailblazing a career. And while a self-defined “proud-nerd”, Ryan earns cool points from me for his global adventures, hiking, and kite-boarding.

Daelan, our developer, packed his rain coat and camera gear for a 10-day adventure in Iceland. The people, he said, are “overwhelmingly good looking”, while the landscape is something you have to see for yourself.

Kendall Barber

Co-Founder, Poppy Barley

Kendall is the co-founder of Poppy Barley, a company redefining luxury footwear with its focus on style, comfort, ethical manufacturing and materials--not markups. Kendall is a marathoner and lululemon run ambassador, a self described "pretend chef" and "cookie monster", and a morning enthusiast (you'll find her running trails at 6am). She lives in Edmonton, AB with her husband, Ross and puppy, Whip.